April 1: Loushi — Locally-Sourced Sushi; Try the Floyds Fork Roll

Eat at LouShi at your own risk. Wikimedia Commons/Fran Hogan

This one dates to 2017 and the LEO Fake Issue. For entertainment purposes only.

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Making a commitment to consuming only locally-sourced and natural products can be difficult. Sure, it’s easy to go to a farmers market on a Saturday morning to get locally-made soap. But it isn’t as easy to find a locally-sourced toothbrush.

That’s why I make my own.

But you can’t always do that, meaning sometimes you have to compromise. (Trust me, finding locally-sourced bristles is not an easy task!)

Local, organic beef and chicken are becoming more and more attainable, though. We even have a local, craft butcher now. I have no trouble finding local, artisan breads and vegetables, the latter of which I can grow on my own, to some extent, assuming locally-sourced seeds can be procured.

But sushi? I went to just about every sushi bar in town, and not one offered locally-sourced sushi. It boggles my mind — I mean, it’s 2017, people!

Well, that lack of locally-sourced sushi ends now, and it’s all thanks to LouShi, a new sushi bar that serves only Kentucky-harvested sushi! The rice? It’s from Campbellsville. The nori? Yep, grown in an indoor farm in Lexington. All the cucumbers are grown right here in Louisville. But most importantly, the fish comes from Kentucky streams and rivers.

As I sat down for my first meal at LouShi, I noted a rather pungent smell emanating from the sushi bar, a sure sign of local, fresh fish. I knew I was in for a treat when I noticed the sushi chef hard at work behind the bar making a Crappie Dynamite Roll, one of the house signature dishes.

As I scanned the menu, I found all sorts of tasty maki-roll options: the Shelbyville Roll (made with cucumber, eel sauce and fresh drum); the Floyds Fork Roll (with cream cheese and smoked sauger); the Mighty Ohio (made with gar caught by local fisherman along the banks of the Ohio River), and the Beargrass Special (featuring raw, Beargrass-raised panfish topped with freshly-harvested shad roe).

My mouth watered as I perused the fine, local options. Just think: panfish right out of Beargrass Creek! Why, I could hardly wait to taste the inner flavors of Louisville, and from a creek that runs right past my neighborhood. I mused, “Could it get any more local than this?”

I started with the eelgrass salad, which also contained chopped freshwater mussels harvested from the bed of the Ohio River. Eelgrass is, of course, one of the most common types of vegetation found on the river’s bed, so pairing it with mussels that grow right next to it was genius. The sweet eelgrass made for a great companion for the musky-tasting shellfish, which seemed to have a slight glow. Not sure what that was about.

Next, I opted for flathead catfish sashimi, which came to me in three rather dense chunks, garnished with pickled ginger and a dab of wasabi. The catfish, which I believe the chef said came from Taylorsville Lake, had a full-bodied flavor that made me gag at first. But, knowing that anything locally sourced is better than imported, I plowed through the three pieces of fish, bite by bite.

I of course couldn’t resist trying the Beargrass Special roll for my main entrée. As the roll was placed before me — the server was wearing a surgical mask — I realized where the pungent smell was coming from. It was this roll! It must be the freshest, locally-sourced sushi in the city, I thought to myself.

The roll was so ripe that I think I may have heard a hum coming from it. I also never knew panfish was such an odd brown and green, I must admit. Hey, I guess that’s a sign it’s fresh — cooked Alabama panfish would never look (or, hopefully, smell) this way.

As I took my first bite, my stomach convulsed, but I continued on, knowing it was my duty to savor this fresh, local bounty. The flavor was sort of a blend of raw sewage and horse bile, with just a hint of smoked trout. Interesting. Meanwhile, the roe seemed to be moving, which I thought odd. It had a lingering sweet taste that resembled the stuff grade-school janitors use to clean up vomit. Imagine that smell, and that’s the flavor I’m describing.

When I checked out of the hospital three days later, I couldn’t wait to share the news about this unique new eatery. And I will definitely be going back to LouShi, just as soon as I can eat solid food again and stop going to the bathroom 12 times a day.